We featured PlayOn Media Server last week on the site – it’s an application which allows you to view online video from a wide range of sources such as Hulu, Netflix, YouTube, CBS News, CNN and more on devices such as the PS3, Xbox 360 and a growing number of digital media receivers.
With a little tinkering, you can also use PlayOn Media Server with Windows Home Server!

Thanks to the guys at MediaMall Technologies, we have two free licenses (worth $39.99 each) to give away.

All I want to know is:
What is the best TV series of all time?

Head over to the WGS Forums to enter – You have a week to enter and we’ll pull two lucky winners out at random. Whilst the competition is open to all, PlayOn Media Server works best in the USA (as some of the content is restricted to US only viewers), so if you’re outside the US, you may want to give this one a miss (sorry!).

So, the competition closes on February 28th 2009. Get cracking!

More Info: Enter the Competition

It’s been a while since we updated our list of routers that can automatically be configured to support remote access by Windows Home Server.

You’ll probably know that Windows Home Server is meant to be able to configure remote access for your router if it supports uPnP, but in fact, this only seems to work with some routers. If you’re having problems with your existing router, make sure you’re running the latest firmware for the router, as this can work miracles.

So, if Windows Home Server auto-configured your router, then please visit the forums and let us know your router’s name and model number. If you have a firmware/hardware revision to hand, then that’s useful too. If you see a router listed that you do not believe auto-configures, it may be that you’re runner a different version of the router’s firmware. Please check the forum to see who submitted the router and contact them via the Personal Messaging system to check which firmware they’re using. Then let me know so I can update the list.

Update: List Updated 15th February 2009

So far we have:

• 3 Com 3CRWDR100A-72 (UK) (Firmware 2.06)
• 3Com 3CRWE554G72T (UK)
• Actiontec MI424-WR
• Asus WL-700gE (UK)
• Belkin N1 (UK)
• Belkin F5D7230-4 (UK)
• D-Link DGL-4100 (UK)
• D-Link DGL-4300 (UK)
• D-Link DGL-4500
• D-Link DI-524 (UK)
• D-Link DI-634M (UK)
• D-Link DIR-615 (UK) (NEW)
• D-Link DIR-625 (Firmware 1.09)
• D-Link DIR-635 (UK)
• D-Link DIR-655 (UK)
• Draytek Vigor2820 (Firmware 3.3.2_RC1) (NEW)
• Linksys BEFSR41 (UK)
• Linksys BEFSR81 (UK)
• Linksys BEFSX41 v.2 (UK)
• Linksys BEFW11S4 (UK)
• Linksys RT31P2
• Linksys RV082 (UK) (NEW)
• Linksys WAG300N (UK) (Firmware 1.01.06) (NEW)
• Linksys WRT54G (UK)
• Linksys WRT54GL (UK) (v1.1)
• Linksys WRT150N (UK)
• Linksys WRT300N (UK)
• Linksys WRT350N (UK)
• Linksys WRT600N
  Linksys WRT610N (UK) (NEW)
• Linksys WRVS4400N (UK)
• Microsoft MN-500
• Microsoft MN-700
• Netgear DG834 (UK) (Firmware 1.0.2.13)
• Netgear FVS114 (UK) (NEW)
• Netgear FVS318 (UK)
• Netgear GT834GT
• Netgear WGR614 (HW v.6,7) (UK)
• Netgear WGT624 (UK) (V3, Firmware V4.2.10_1.0.1)
• Netgear WPN824 (UK)
• Sitecom WL-153
• SMC SMCWGBR14-N (Firmware 1.0.0.13) (UK)
• Thomson SpeedTouch 585i (UK)
• TRENDnet TEW-633GR
• TP Link TP-WR541G (UK)
• US Robotics USR8200
• Xincom XC-DPG502 (FW 2.1)
• Zyxel P-334WT
• Zyxel P-2602R-D1A
• Zyxel P-2602HW-D1A
• Zyxel X-550
  

Keep sending in your router models via the link below.

More Info: Routers That Successfully Auto-Configure with Windows Home Server (WGS Forums)

Sarah over at Channel 10 points to a great new plugin for Media Center that allows you to add channel logos to your Media Center’s TV Guide.

Image: Hack7MC

My Channel Logos for 7MC bundles a set of US Channel logos with the plugin, and allows you to add your own logos too.

More Info: www.hack7mc.com

Our moderating team over at WGS Forums have this week launched a brand new Windows Home Server Frequently Asked Questions section which is designed to provide answers to the most common questions asked by new (and experienced WHS owners).

The FAQs have been compiled based on common posts we’ve seen on the forums, and currently cover a wide range of topics including:

Upgrading from the WHS Evaluation Edition
How to Manually Uninstall an Add-In
Troubleshooting Windows Home Server

and a whole lot more.

Head on over to the WGS Wiki to check out the list and feel free to shout if there’s other topics you’d like to see covered.

More Info: Windows Home Server FAQs

CD Ripper RipNAS Essentials recently received an update to version 1.5. New features and fixes are as follows:

• Inclusion of SqueezeCenter update DSP (to automatically inform SqueezeCenter when new tracks are ripped)
• Asset On / Off added to control page
• CD Ripping Engine on / Off added to control page
• DSP effects button to access DSP effects
• Fixed Batch Ripper crash when unloading (from restarting WHS)

Download: RipNAS Essentials v1.5

Those of you who are active on our forums will know by now that we’ve moved over to a brand new server.

As a result, the location of our forums has changed, so make sure you update your bookmarks!

The new address is http://forum.wegotserved.com

Direct links to the WGS Wiki have also changed – you can now find them at http://wiki.wegotserved.com

There may be a few broken links still to be resolved and the main menu link above is waiting for a redirection to go live. Until then, make sure you use the URLs above.

Looks like the new HP MediaSmart Server started shipping today!

We’ve had reports from readers who ordered their units from hp.com that they received their shipping emails this morning.

The first units should be arriving by Wednesday – if you’re one of the first to get yours, let us know what you think of it!

Western Digital have just launched a new 2TB drive – the maximum capacity of your home server just got a little larger.

Check it out:

As hard drive capacities increase, the power required to run those drives increases as well. WD Caviar Green drives make it possible for energy-conscious customers to build systems with higher capacities and the right balance of system performance, ensured reliability, and energy conservation.

Reduced power consumption – WD has reduced power consumption by up to 40 percent compared to standard desktop drives with the combination of WD’s IntelliSeek™, NoTouch™, and IntelliPower™ technologies.

Helps enable eco-friendly PCs – WD Caviar Green drives yield an average drive power savings of 4-5 watts over standard desktop drives making it possible for our energy-conscious customers to build systems with higher capacities and the right balance of system performance, ensured reliability, and energy conservation.

Cool and quiet – GreenPower™ technology yields lower operating temperatures for increased reliability and low acoustics for ultra-quiet PCs and external drives.

Massive capacity – Capacities up to 2 TB offer the most available capacity for storage-intensive programs and space-hungry operating systems, like Window Vista®, with plenty of room left over for photos, music, and video.

Perfect for external drives – External drive manufacturers can eliminate the need for a fan in a high-capacity product with a WD Caviar Green drive, the coolest and quietest in its class.

IntelliPower – A fine-tuned balance of spin speed, transfer rate and caching algorithms designed to deliver both significant power savings and solid performance.

IntelliSeek – Calculates optimum seek speeds to lower power consumption, noise, and vibration. View demo >

NoTouch ramp load technology – The recording head never touches the disk media ensuring significantly less wear to the recording head and media as well as better drive protection in transit.

Perpendicular Magnetic Recording (PMR) – Employs PMR technology to achieve even greater areal density.

StableTrac™ – The motor shaft is secured at both ends to reduce system-induced vibration and stabilize platters for accurate tracking, during read and write operations. (2 TB models only)

Low power spin-up – WD Caviar Green drives consume less current during startup allowing lower peak loads.

Advanced power technology – Electronic components deliver best-in-class low power consumption for reduced power requirements and increased reliability.

Ideal For
Environmentally friendly PCs and external storage requiring lower power consumption and cool, quiet operation.

More Info: Western Digital

A small gift from the Windows Home Server team to celebrate the New Year.

Today the Windows Home Server team is releasing a small update to the product.  The update improves the capability of Windows Home Server to repair abnormalities detected in the home computer backup database.

The update should be automatically downloaded and installed on your home server over the next several days, if you have Windows Update turned on.  You can check if you have Windows Update turned on, by opening the Windows Home Server Console – Settings – General page.

The Knowledge Base article will be up later today.

More Info: WHS Team Blog

Whilst Jungle Disk already offer an add-in for Windows Home Server which allows you to use their online backup service, its feature set is pretty limited compared to the desktop edition of the software.

A new add-in by Pål Andreassen allows you to install an monitor Jungle Disk’s standard desktop software on your home server, and monitor it via the WHS Console.

So, you can now use all of the features of Jungle Disk desktop edition on your home server!

Requirements

- Jungle Disk Desktop Edition must be already installed on the home server.

- This Add-In has only been tested on the latest Jungle Disk version (2.5)

Known Issues

- Setting window does not save path to junglediskmonitor.exe

- This version requires jungle disk to be installed to C:Program FilesJungle Disk Desktop

- For some reason the jungle disk monitor seems to flicker when run inside the Home Server Console

- Still no setup MSI package. Installation is manual for now.

- Some times you need to click the “Jungle Disk” icon in the toolbar twice before the application loads

Download: Jungle Disk WHS (Desktop Edition) | Community Support

Nic Fillingham from Channel 10 caught up with Todd Headrick at CES to talk through some of the latest home server hardware announced at the show, which will be hitting the market later this year.

You can check out the video over at the Windows Home Server Team blog.

More Info: WHS Team Blog

Two podcasts from CES this week with Windows Home Server news and views.

The Home Server Show features extended interviews with Todd Headrick from the Windows Home Server team, plus chats with HP and PVConnect.

The Media Center Show this week has a round table discussion with Media Center and Home Server enthusiasts which was recorded out in Las Vegas.

Both well worth checking out.